High voltage generator



June 7, 1938. N. E. LINDENBLAD HIGH VOLTAGE GENERATOR Original Filed Aug. 9, 1933 mm mm 6.5 KfNfAATO/P INVENTOR. NlLS E. UNDENBLAD 7 I ATTORNEY.

Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HIGH VOLTAGE GENERATOR Original application August 9, 1933, Serial 684,328. Divided and this application February 26, 1935, Serial No. 8,236

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and means for generating and utilizing extremely high voltages at high energy levels 4 This is a division of my copending application Serial No.684,328, filed August 9, 1933. This divisional application is specifically directed to a high-voltage generating system wherein charging devices are arranged in parallel, and means being provided to discharge said devices in series.

In one way of carrying out my invention for the generation of high D. C. voltages, I charge metallic'units, preferably particles of metal, by actual conductive contact with a D. C. source. Then, by moving the particles away fromthe source, the voltages of the charges thereon are increased, in a manner which shall be eirplained more fully hereinafter, and the charges are ultimately deposited upon a low voltage gradient-section of a charge-storing device or container.)

In another arrangement for producing high voltages according to my present invention, an induction electrode, either grounded, or preferably maintained at a high voltage, is insulatingly separated fronia chargeable medium which may be a solid, a liquid or a gas, and, by the use of a point discharge electrode system connected to a direct current source, or preferably to ground, ionization or corona is caused to take place through and/or about the chargeable mediuin. Thev charged medium is then moved or carried to a low gradient area on a chargeable element, the high voltage surface of which is brought up to an exceedingly high voltage by the continued deposits from the charged medium.

' Other modifications of my invention are that of the contact and induction principles for charging solid mediums such as belts and disks, for charging liquids such-as oil and 011 containing metallic particlesin suspension and for charging gases.

My invention further contemplates, in connection with a cascaded transformer system, the rectification of the voltage of each stage. As it is desirable to make'the voltage of each stage as high as possible, it will be found that ordinary tube rectifiers subjected to high A. C. voltages for rectification, will have their filaments subjected to high electrostatic streses leading to their rapid destruction. Consequently, a further ob-- ject of my present invention is to provide an improvedtube rectifier circuit. For this purpose I provide an arrangement wherein the cathodes or filaments are protected from subjection to high electrostatic forces by suitably connecting a protective grid about the cathode directly, or through a bias source, to the cathode.

Still further objects of my present invention are to provide an improved belt system for generating high voltages; to provide an improved 5 disk system for generating high voltages; to provide improved combinations of disks alone or combinations of disk or disks and belt or belts alone, arranged in such a way as to have an eifective output voltage much higher than the 10 voltage generated by any one system; and to provide a symmetrical network system in which various elements are charged in parallel but discharged in series so as-to obtain a much higher resultant output voltage as compared to the 'volt- 15 age applied to each element.

This invention will be more fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawing, in

. which combination of systems described in Figs. 1 to 10 of my copending application Serial No. 684,328,

1 filed Aug. 9, 1933'. The high voltage source 400 charges, through resistor 402, a balanced spark gap system. This spark 'gap system comprises spark gaps 404, 406, 4'08 symmetrically interconnected by resistoror reactors and condensers 4 I 0, ll 2, respectively. The source 400, which is either a high voltage A. C. of relatively low frequency, or

, D. C. source, charges the condensers 2 through 40 resistors 402, llll in parallel. However, when discharge of the spark gaps I, 406, "8 occurs, the discharge, as well known to those skilled in the art, is of extremely rapid character and acts serially through the condensers i2, disregarding 4.5 resistors llli as too slow means for discharge, thus producing momentarily across the spheres 4 an integrated voltage. That is to say, the charging takes place in parallel, whereas the discharge, taking'place in series, gives a much greater effective output voltage.

An arrangement somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but somewhat more refined, is illustrated in Fig. 2. as in connection with Fig.

1, the source ll may be any oneof the devices, I6

' Figs. 1 to 5 of my copending application Ser. No.

684,328, filed Aug. 9, 1933. A. high voltage is fed through a resistor M6 to the left and right-hand symmetrical arrangements of spark gaps, condensers and resistors. The left-hand bank of spark gaps encloses spark gaps M3, 420 having the charging resistors 422 and charging and discharging condensers 424. Similarly the righthand bank of spark gaps M6 is provided with charging condemers 428 and charging resistors 5313. The resistor Q32 is provided to prevent the lowermost right-hand spark gap 426 from shortcircuiting the lowermost left-hand charging con-' denser 42 i. Condenser C acts as a by-pass for impuses from either side when discharge occurs so as to time the discharge or sparks oi the left and right-hand piles of spark gaps into synchronism.

By way of further explanation, the arrangements shown in Figs, 1 and 2 operate by virtue of the fact that the spark discharge is very fast and does not appear to suffer from the fact that the parallel connection through the resistors is retained during the discharge period.

In order to utilize the systems of Figs. 1 and 2 for the generation of a uni-directional voltage, the generated high voltage impulses should be allowed to spark over into one or more insulated spheres or other form of high voltage condenser in orderto maintain its charge. A system for doing this is illustrated in Fig. 3. The spheres 43d oi? Fig. 2 although they may of course be the spheres Ml of Fig. 1, they are connected as shownin Fig. 3, respectively to the plate 436 and filament 438 of two elongated evacuated tubes 0, M2,whose filament t and plate or anode 446 are respectively connected to the shells or charge storing devices 6, 8. If desired, only one tube and one shell need be used so as to get merely ahalf wave rectifier effect. As illustrated in Fig.3, however, shell 6 will become charged positively, whereas shell 448 will become charged negatively, the resultant voltage between the shells being extremely high.

Various other changes will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art in carrying out the principles of my invention. Thereiore, my present invention is not to be considered linoited by the various illustrations which are given merely asspeciflc examples, but is to be given the -iull scope indicated in the appended clams.

2,1 rates Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: i

l. A system for generating high voltages, comprising a group of symmetrically arranged devices having elongated evacuated tubes containing at least a cathode and an anode, means for charging sm'd devices in parallel, and means for discharging said devices in series.

2. A system for generating high voltages, comprising a group of symmetrically arranged devices having elongated evacuated tubes containing at least a cathode and an anode, each of said evacuated tubes having associated therewith a storage shell, means for charging said devices in parallel, and means for discharging said devices in series.

A system for generating high voltages, comprising a group of symmetrically arranged devices having elongated evacuated tubes containing at least a cathode and an anode, means for charging said devices in parallel, and a plurality of spheres spaced to discharge said devices in series.

i. A system for generating high voltages, comprising a group of symmetrically arranged devices having elongated evacuated tubes containing at least a cathode and an anode, each of said evacuated tubes having associated therewith a storage shell, means for charging said devices in parallel, and a plurality of spheres spaced to discharge said devices in series.

5. A system for generating high voltages, comprising a group of symmetrically arranged devices having fixed elements in the form of evacuated tubes containing at least an anode and cathode, a spherical shell surrounding at least one end oi? said evacuated tubea'a plurality of resistances associated with said evacuated tubes. means for charging said devices in parallel, and

. means for discharging said devices in series.

6. A system for generating high voltages, comprising a group of symmetrically arranged devices having fixed elements in the form of evacuated tubes containing at least an anode and cathode,

a spherical shell surrounding at least one end of said evacuated tubes, a plurality of resistances and capacitive elements associated with said evacuated tubes, means i'or charging said devices in parallel, and means for discharging said devices in series. 

